Elina - Week 16: McDonald's Happy Meal
“Hello, what would you like to order?”
“May I get a happy meal please?”
“Yes, that’ll be a total of $7.68.”
Getting a Happy Meal wasn’t about the mystery toy or the oddly familiar cardboard box with a yellow “M” handle. It was the slightly dry chicken nuggets, the oddly flavored milk, and the hamburger with too much ketchup that made McDonald’s happy meals become a trip down memory lane. But what’s the point of going back to dry chicken nuggets and boring McDonald’s hamburgers when better alternatives like In-N-Out exist? It reminds me of the scene in Ratatouille when the famous food critic is reminded of his mom’s cooking, reminding him of the love and peace in his childhood home despite his now cold demeanor. In the same way, the familiar smell of cardboard and fresh McDonald’s fries always reminded me of the times as a child I would strategically plot for fast food visits: from getting better grades to randomly doing chores to hopefully earn myself a much-awaited visit.
At the same time, it reminded me of the quick drive-thru’s; times I couldn’t afford to sit down and eat, only managing to hurriedly shove food down my throat before going to my next destination. Why does reminiscing about the past make me feel so happy, even when I’m thinking about the late nights of annotations and dreading chemistry tests? Jessica Schrader answers this question beautifully in her article on “Why Nostalgia? The Amazing Power of Reminiscing,” where she addresses how nostalgic thoughts can help people improve their mood and increase their “sense of meaning in life.” Maybe that’s why I love to sit idly in my room recollecting the past, or maybe it’s because I find “comfort and feelings of safety” within those same memories.
Hi Elina! I love how you chose to reminisce about something (that can be perceived to be) so banal as a takeout order from McDonald’s only to add wistful significance to it. Like you, I too used to “strategically plot”—as you state—for visits to my favorite fast food places when I was a child. I even used to go as far as saying my sister—not I—wanted to get takeout to sound as if I was just doing it for the common welfare and to be perceived as a kind, mature person…as a ten-year-old.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to your blog, I admire how you elaborate on the things (like the “cardboard box” and the “chicken nuggets”) you get in a Happy Meal using extremely descriptive sensory details with phrases like “oddly flavored” and “too much ketchup.” I think that all those extra characteristics help build the tone of nostalgia and longing that fits flawlessly with your topic.
Hi Elina! Your anecdote about how you preferred McDonalds over other burger franchises as In-N-Out is a simple story that carries a much deeper meaning to it. Your blog this week was very relatable because I also associate fast food drive-thrus with past memories of traveling, specifically the days when my family returned home from camping and no one ever has the energy to cook food. Nostalgia is powerful and it’s always fun to recall pleasant memories from the past. Although reminiscing on the past is something that I enjoy doing, I think it’s important that you frequently remind yourself to focus on the present since it can hinder you from realizing that that you are currently in the good old days.
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